Springs Hospital Says Baby Got Proper Care

Officials at Coral Springs Medical Center on Tuesday disputed the complaints of a woman who said her baby originally was sent home from the emergency room despite symptoms of a serious illness.

But the officials could not discuss Laurie Coffey's complaints because patient confidentiality laws forbid them from disclosing details of the case. The hospital and the baby's private pediatrician, who was not consulted on the night of the emergency room visit, say the baby received appropriate care.

No one disputes that Joey Coffey, 6 months, needed to be hospitalized on Jan. 4 for a life-threatening infection of a bacteria that - if unchecked - causes meningitis. No one disputes that a hospital emergency room doctor did not detect a bacteria and had sent the baby home three hours earlier.

Laurie Coffey says the emergency room doctors should have detected the meningitis-related infection and started treatment on her first visit to the hospital.

But Dr. Jonathan Rubin, who treated the baby in the emergency room, and a hospital district spokesman said that when the boy went home, his symptoms were not as severe as his mother said.

"Some of the statements she made were not accurate," said Goren, spokesman for the North Broward Hospital District, which operates the tax-assisted hospital. "But you can't dispute it because you can't talk about it."

Florida law prohibits doctors or other health-care providers from revealing patient information unless the patient or family gives written consent. Coffey has not agreed.

Coffey, 22, of Coral Springs, said on Tuesday that her story was correct.

Coffey's complaints on Monday came just a week after the hospital had settled an eight-month state investigation into its emergency room care. The state found five violations, including poor care for two children who died within hours of being sent home.

A pediatric expert hired by the hospital to oversee changes is reviewing Coffey's complaint.

No review is planned by state regulators because Coffey has not filed a complaint. Coffey said she brought Joey to the emergency room after he developed a fever of 103.5 degrees and a red rash on his legs.

She said that while Joey was at the hospital, the rash spread to his arms and some of the rash turned purple. Independent pediatricians said that a fever and purple spots would be well-known symptoms of meningitis. But a fever and a red rash could indicate many illnesses, they said.

Rubin, after doing a blood and urine test, called the baby's illness a virus and sent him home with instructions to return if he grew worse, Coffey said.

Three hours later, she said she rushed the baby back with a fever of 106.5 degrees and worse spots. The baby recovered after a week in the hospital, including three days in intensive care.